diff --git a/modules/services/window-managers/river.nix b/modules/services/window-managers/river.nix
index 80ad68b74..06d458411 100644
--- a/modules/services/window-managers/river.nix
+++ b/modules/services/window-managers/river.nix
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ let
   extraCommands = builtins.concatStringsSep " "
     (map (f: "&& ${f}") cfg.systemd.extraCommands);
   systemdActivation = ''
-    exec "${pkgs.dbus}/bin/dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd ${variables} ${extraCommands}"
+    ${pkgs.dbus}/bin/dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd ${variables} ${extraCommands}
   '';
 
   toValue = val:
diff --git a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/river/init b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/river/init
index b7c5ede3d..c266ca9e9 100755
--- a/tests/modules/services/window-managers/river/init
+++ b/tests/modules/services/window-managers/river/init
@@ -62,6 +62,6 @@ extra config
 
 
 ### SYSTEMD INTEGRATION ###
-exec "@dbus@/bin/dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd DISPLAY WAYLAND_DISPLAY XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP NIXOS_OZONE_WL XCURSOR_THEME XCURSOR_SIZE && systemctl --user stop river-session.target && systemctl --user start river-session.target"
+@dbus@/bin/dbus-update-activation-environment --systemd DISPLAY WAYLAND_DISPLAY XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP NIXOS_OZONE_WL XCURSOR_THEME XCURSOR_SIZE && systemctl --user stop river-session.target && systemctl --user start river-session.target